Sales of reusable coffee cups leapt five-fold last month according to leading Irish retailer Argos.

The number of travel cups sold in December rose by 537 per cent year-on-year – influenced by consumers looking to reduce their waste consumption and avoid the proposed levy on disposable coffee cups currently being researched by the Irish government.

Following the huge success of BBC’s Blue Planet II, which revealed the effects of plastic on our planet’s ocean life, sales of reusable water bottles are also on the rise, according to Argos sales data. One of its most popular lines is the Brita Fill & Go bottle currently priced at €14.99, which last month saw a 77 per cent increase in sales.

Dawn Ritchie, Kitchen Buying Manager at Argos, said: “We saw a huge growth in the sales of travel mugs over the Christmas period. This was partly spurred on by the popularity of shows such as Blue Planet II, as well as some of Ireland’s biggest coffee chains offering compelling discounts for customers with reusable cups.

“With the recently-proposed ‘latte levy’, we expect this trend to only grow as awareness of disposable cup waste increases.”